Poisoning
What is a poison?
Even the mildest chemicals, medicines, animals and plants can be dangerous to small or sensitive people or can become poisonous if you are exposed to enough of them.
Children under five years old are at the greatest risk of poisoning, and poisoning is one of the top three reasons why children in this age group are seen at hospital emergency departments or are admitted to hospital. Medications are the most common cause of childhood poisonings and nearly all childhood poisonings take place at home. So preventing poisonings at home is a very important way of avoiding injury in children.
Be aware that many poisonings occur when poisons are outside their normal secure storage area, e.g. just after purchase, when being used, when moving house or when visiting other people's homes.
Common poisons
Common poisons that can be dangerous to children and adults include:
- Medicines
- prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, herbal and homoeopathic products.
- Household products
- cleaning products, including bleaches, for the kitchen, bathroom and toilet.
- detergents for the sink, dishwasher and laundry.
- insect sprays, baits, repellents, rat and mouse baits and pellets.
- health and beauty products, including nail polish and remover, hair dyes, mouthwash, toothpaste, deodorant, perfume and aftershave.
- garage/shed products including pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, pool chemicals, handyman/building products, paints and paint thinners, petrol, antifreeze and degreasers.
- Workplace products
- Solvents, pesticides, paints, glues, acids, petroleum products. These can take many forms - liquids, solids, vapours, gases, fumes or dusts.
- For information on poisons in the workplace, and minimising the risk of exposure, go to the Australian Safety and Compensation Council's website.
- For information on farm safety read the Department of Employment and Industrial relations' workplace health and safety magazine "SAFE".
- Animals
- snakes
- spiders
- insects
- cane toads
- marine creatures: stinging fish, jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, cone shells.
- Plants
- Trees, flowers, berries, mushrooms and the sap of some plants.
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